


Colours

by Signature_smirk



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek, Communication, Derek Hale is Bad at Feelings, Derek is a Good Alpha, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Pack Bonding, Pack Feels, Past Kate Argent/Derek Hale, Pining, Scenting, Slow Build, Soulmate AU, Soulmates, bond, hair colour changes, soulbond, stiles is a baker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-20 02:46:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10653315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Signature_smirk/pseuds/Signature_smirk
Summary: Derek's hair is black. Everyone else's hair changes colour.Your hair shows your emotions, when they happen and as intense as they happen. Each emotion is a different colour. There's no way to hide it.Derek dyes his hair black, feeling too vulnerable after his family dies to allow people to see his emotions. Everyone just assumes he is still grieving. This lets him avoid the rest of his emotions, as if they don't exist.When you meet your soulmate your hair goes white until you seal the bond. Then it returns to its colours, but is streaked with the white.Stiles' hair goes white as snow when Derek lays his eyes on him for the first time. His remains black. He knows it's from the dye. Stiles doesn't.When Stiles still manages to work himself into his life Derek can't quite understand how he feels and all of a sudden his black hair is a problem.Stiles wants to help.Derek let's him.





	1. Chapter 1

Stiles is always bright, harsh colours, emotions and hair as intense as his personality. His mother had always ruffled his hair with a smile on her face as she told him how beautiful he was. He had believed her; it was fun and he never had to try to comprehend his feelings. The downside is that sometimes he can't hide his feelings no matter how hard he tries, like when his mum died and his hair went black for over a year, the kids in school staring and whispering because they don't understand why. He slowly starts spending time with his dad after he  gets rid of all the alcohol in the house and let's him sleep in his bed for as long as he wants. Together, their hair starts brightening and John reminds him everyday that his hair is beautiful and his mum would be proud. 

Derek's hair is black. He has been dying it for a few years now, but it had been naturally black for a long time before that, after his family had died. Because of him. It was when his small pack really started to bond with him that it had lightened and eventually faded to very light pastel colours. His hair only changed occasionally and it darkened to black more often than not. His pack hadn't mentioned it, but they stared and he couldn't handle it. He felt like he didn't deserve to feel if his family didn't have the opportunity to do the same, so he dyes his hair. It's painful and he doesn't really know how he feels anymore, can't rely on his hair to tell him.

Stiles' smiles brightly at all of his customers, hair shifting to a bright, light blue as he settles into his routine of making the drinks and baking. He loves his job; owning a bakery/cafe can be tough, but he wouldn't give it up for the world. 

Derek's pack insist that Friday nights are pack nights, bringing pastries and cookies from this amazing bakery a few blocks down. On Saturday morning the pack, all sprawled out across the pile of blankets on the floor, insist that it's Derek's turn to go since he never goes and gets the food. 

Derek grumbles, muttering that he provides the house that they stay in. Erica smiles and nuzzles his cheek when he passes her. He still has trouble accepting affection from his pack, but they are working on it. She squeezes his arm gently, a reassurance, as he musters up as much of a smile as he can. 

When he finally gets to the front of the queue, rolling his eyes as the person before him fumbles with her change and her food. He steps up to the counter when she moves away, sending an apologetic smile his way, and nearly chokes on his mint.

The pale boy behind the counter flushes, mouth agape, as his hair turns a stark white. Derek shudders, a warm thrum flowing through him and he doesn't doubt that his hair would be white, too, if he hadn't dyed it. He watches the boy's eyes flick up to his hair and back to the counter, his shoulders softening as he curls in on himself. 

One sided bonds aren't unheard of, Stiles thinks. Derek struggles to find a way to reassure him that it's okay, that it's mutual. They both just stand in silence until Stiles bravely looks up at him again. 

He flashes him a wide, uneasy grin and clears his throat.   
"Good morning, what would you like?" He asks, as chipper as he can manage when facing the reality of having an unrequited soulmate. 

Derek reads the orders from his phone, surprised the boy can hear him because he can't seem to talk louder than a mumble. His palms are sweating and his mouth feels dry as he watches the boy gnaw at his lip as he makes the drinks and gathers the pastries. 

"Do you need a scent free bag?" Stiles asks. Derek is brought back to the real world, eyes tearing away from the white hair on the boy's head.   
"Sorry?" 

Stiles smiles despite himself. The muscly, bearded, non-Stiles-loving guy is stupidly adorable with his round, green eyes and his plump lips and too-big ears. 

"I have had my supernatural customers complain that the smell can be really strong, so I have special bags. Do you need one?" Stiles explains.   
"Please," Derek nods.   
"This all for you?" Stiles attempts to make conversation as he bags the food up.   
"My pack demanded I do the coffee run today. They're very fond of this place," Derek tells him, feeling a smile tug at his lips. His pack like his soulmate. 

Stiles fish mouths again, like he did when his hair turned white.   
"You're the alpha of the Beacon Hills pack? You- you're Derek Hale," Stiles stutters awkwardly. He'd always been interested in the dynamics of packs and had intensely researched his town's pack.   
"That's me," Derek agrees. He's still not used to the whole acknowledgement of power that shouldn't really be his. "Since you know my name, what's yours?"

The boy seems even more shocked at this development. Why would this alpha, his soulmate who does not share the bond, try to get to know him?

"Stiles Stilinski," Stiles chokes out when his brain catches up to his mouth.   
"You're the sheriff's son," Derek states.   
"That's me," Stiles laughs lightly. "I suppose you two have met."  
"Yes," Derek nods. 

They met when John helped a young, terrified Derek calm down after watching his family be burnt alive, then later when Derek started his pack and moved back to Beacon Hills they met to discuss how they could work together. 

"Okay. So that'll be twenty five dollars," Stiles says easily, smiling at his customers behind Derek who seem to be getting irritated.   
"Thanks," Derek murmurs as he gathers everything into his arms.   
"No problem. Enjoy!" Stiles calls out after him. God, what did he do to deserve this?

He gets a slew of customers asking about his soulmate that day and he doesn't have the heart to tell old Mr. Oakland that it's one way when he asks why they haven't sealed the bond, simply tells him they're going steady which starts Mr. Oakland off on a rant about how kids these days rush into things too much and that he's proud of Stiles. Stiles can only manage a weak smile when he gets congratulated. 

Derek swears continually whilst driving home, hoping to expel any emotions, what emotions he's not sure, before the pack can pick up on them. When he wordlessly sets the food out, slumping onto the sofa as he grabs his own, the pack mumble their thanks and reposition themselves to lounge around their alpha. 

Isaac nuzzles his head into Derek's neck, Derek's chest rumbling as the rest of them crowd around and press themselves close. 

"Oh," Scott mumbles, eyebrows furrowing. "What's this?" 

He holds out the bag that had wrapped his cookie up, a rushed string of numbers written on the front. Erica beams, yanking it from him to marvel at it herself. 

"Derek got the cute owner's number!" She laughs, disbelieving. Derek's eyes widen and his cheeks flush as he grabs at it. She laughs as she pulls it away from him.   
"I swear to god. Erica," he growls. Erica pouts, ducking her head before handing it to him. He hasn't used his alpha voice for a long time, tends to use conversations instead of threats to settle things. 

"Derek, you're allowed to flirt with people," Allison soothes as she squeezes his ankle. Derek sighs.   
"I wasn't flirting, I was just getting your food," he whines, hoping they'll just leave it.   
"You're used to people hitting on you," Jackson points out. "What's got you so riled up about him?"

The pack is silent for a minute, waiting for a response. They don't get one.

Derek locks himself in his room for nearly a week; avoiding the pack is easy when they all have college and friends and he has work. The pack announce themselves by pounding on the door Friday afternoon and letting themselves in. 

When Derek emerges from his bedroom, nose twitching at the smell of the pizza they brought, the pack are waiting for him with innocent smiles that make him feel uneasy. Isaac's hair is purple so Derek thinks they've done something he might be unhappy with, though Isaac's hair is purple a lot, the boy still anxious due to his awful childhood. 

The others just seem happy or excited as they push the pizza towards him. He narrows his eyes at them and scratches the scruff that's grown in on his cheek as he takes a slice. 

"He's your soulmate," Erica states excitedly, grinning wildly at him when he shrugs. Boyd rests a hand on her hip. "What? He should tell us about these things, I want to know who is joining the pack."  
"His hair isn't white," Scott dismisses. Erica huffs and sticks her tongue out at him. Allison giggles, running her hands through his hair.   
"His hair is dyed. It will stay black until he strips the dye or he cuts it off," she explains. 

Derek glares at Erica.   
"We aren't making any changes to the pack," he grumbles. The pack, who had started squabbling, all pause and look up at him.   
"You aren't sealing the bond?" Boyd asks.   
"You didn't text him?"  
"You didn't even tell him he was your soulmate. Did you?"  
"You idiot!"

He waits for the pack to calm down.   
"I don't want him to hope for something that can't happen," Derek sighs, dragging a hand over his face.   
"And why can't it happen?" Scott asks.

Erica walks around until she can lean over the back of Derek's chair, hands gripping his shoulders.   
"Because our alpha here, is too scared to be emotional, even if it's around his soulmate who he is destined to be with." She pats his cheek patronisingly and shakes her head. "He's too much of a martyr to allow himself to love because he believes he doesn't deserve it."

He rips himself away from Erica's hands, biting back a growl.   
"Fuck off, Erica," Derek mutters. He glares at the rest of the pack. "Does anybody else want to say anything or has Erica said enough?"  
"We're trying to help, Der," Isaac says softly, reaching out carefully to curl a hand around his bicep. "We want to see you happy. You deserve to be happy."  
"Plus I saw you smelling the bag that Stiles had written his number on. You looked like you were getting high off his scent," Jackson adds. 

Derek melts under Isaac's touch and soft words, lets the smaller lad pull him into a cuddle on the couch. He nods his head.   
"He smells incredible."

 

Stiles groans when Lydia throws another pillow at him.   
"You didn't demand his number? Didn't find out where he lives or anything?" She exclaims. "Boys are useless, I swear. You, Stiles, deserve your soulmate. You deserve to be happy more than anybody I know, so you are going to-"  
"What, Lydia? I've given him my number. I can't force the bond on him. You know that's not how it works. Now shut up, my dads coming for dinner and I need to get ready, look normal."

Lydia sighs, standing in front of his wardrobe to rifle through and find him an outfit. She hands him the clothes and lies on her front away from Stiles.   
"Even if you dress your best he will notice that your hair is white. That's unavoidable. He'll tell you the same thing I have, to go and find your soulmate. Not sure he'll be pleased about the whole alpha thing, but oh well," Lydia tells him. Stiles glares at her back in a way he wouldn't if she could see him.   
"There's nothing wrong with him being an alpha," Stiles says defensively. "Why am I being nice to the guy? He doesn't even like me back!"  
"You don't know that. Just because he might not share your bond doesn't mean he doesn't like you."  
"He would've called," Stiles huffs.   
"You could've gotten his -"

The doorbell rings and Stiles grins.   
"Saved by the bell. Come on, Lyds, you can let him in while I plate up the food."

Stiles thinks, after all he's put his dad through, his dad's reaction is to be expected.   
"Jesus Christ, son," he sighs exasperatedly. Stiles bites his lip, rocking back and forth on his heels. John clears his throat to get his attention. "Well? Come here."

He opens his arms and Stiles finds himself burying his face into his dad's neck, snuggling close as John smooths out his hair.   
"Your mom would've loved to be here for this," John mumbles against his temple. "She is so proud of you, Stiles."  
"Dad, it's not right. It's-it's"

John pulls him back and presses a hand to his chest. He reminds him to breathe and counts for him until he can wipe at his eyes and take a few deeper breaths.   
"It's one sided. His hair didn't change and-"  
"Stiles," John berates, not wanting his son to work himself up again.   
"His hair didn't change," Stiles repeats quietly, leaning into the hand John cups his cheek with. "I gave him my number, he hasn't called and I haven't seen him again."

John holds him for a little while longer, letting Stiles calm himself down before they sit down with Lydia at the table. They talk about everything apart from soulmates; college, work, the deputies, John's health. 

"Can I know who it is?" John asks when they're nearly finished with their food.   
"Alpha Hale," Stiles says nervously. He frowns when John sighs again.   
"Son, he has been through so much. It's possible his hair can't change colour. You want me to-"  
"No, dad. It's okay, I get it."

John hugs Stiles extra tight when he says goodbye, kisses his head.   
"Your hair is still beautiful, Stiles," he reminds his son, knows Stiles values his bright colour changing hair.   
"Love you, dad."  
"Love you, kiddo."

Lydia comes to curl into his side on the couch.   
"You really like him?" She asks quietly. Stiles nods.   
"He's amazing."


	2. Chapter 2

Derek bites at the hand that passes his mouth playfully, huffing out a laugh as Erica flicks his nose before fixing his hair again.   
"Erica, my hair hasn't changed since you last touched it," Derek grumbles as she starts to smooth out his shirt.   
"You need to trim or shave," Erica tells him, pursing her lips as she takes in his beard.   
"But-"  
"I know," Erica soothes. She smiles slightly and tugs at the hair on his jaw. "I'll wait outside, you don't have to tell me what colour it is."

Sure enough, the hairs Derek cuts away from his face fall white as snow into the sink before he washes them away, leaving only black stubble behind. 

Erica brings him into the living room where the pack are waiting to go.   
"Ready to go get your soulmate?" Scott grins, always a romantic.   
"I'm ready to go get some coffee," Derek says gruffly, shrugging his leather jacket over his shoulders. 

Ethan and Aiden stop him at the door, nuzzling Derek gently. They've finally got a break from their far away college, so the pack are spending as much time together as possible. Derek growls softly, cupping their heads as he rubs his cheek against theirs. He's missed them a lot and hasn't been able to surround himself with a full pack scent in a little while, so he revels in it when they're all there. 

The pack all bundle in, chatting to distract Derek until he reaches the counter. Sadly, though the man is very charming, it's not Stiles waiting to take their order. 

Derek's eyebrows furrow, can't help the disappointment that settles in his stomach. He places his order with slumped shoulders, thanking the man before he sits at the table with the members of the pack who have already bought their things. 

He scowls down at his coffee like it's personally offending him, only looking up when he hears Ethan's heartbeat start pounding, speeding up as he steps up to order his own food. He watches as the hair of the man behind the counter and Ethan quickly turns white. 

He turns away, not wanting to intrude in such a personal moment. A few minutes later Ethan tugs the man over to their table, grinning shyly up at him.   
"This is Danny, my soulmate," Ethan introduces him. He leans into Danny's arm around his waist and explains who everyone is. "I think you should sit with us."

Danny sits down, smiling at the pack.   
"Who is serving now?" Erica asks, curious to see if Stiles would show up.   
"Kira. The people who work here are all friends of the owner, so we just fill in for when he needs us," Danny explains.   
"That's cool, it's nice that you can all do that for him," Allison smiles sweetly. Danny nods, linking his fingers with Ethan's.   
"You should meet him, he's a great guy," he tells Ethan.   
"Well the pack comes here a lot, but this is my first time. I'm sure you guys know him, right?" 

The pack all hum their agreement, Erica cheekily winking over at Derek who flushes and ducks his head.   
"Pack? You're the Hale pack?" Danny repeats, gasping when the packs' hair turns purple, nervously waiting for his reaction. "I don't think it's bad!" Danny rushes to assure. "I just didn't realise."

Derek has to leave early, a text from the sheriff lighting up his phone, asking him to go to the station. He pats Danny on the back as he leaves, offering him a small, friendly smile and a 'see you soon'. 

When he gets to the station, he walks straight to the sheriffs office, knocking and opening the door when John calls out that he can come in. His mouth goes dry and his nostrils flare as he chokes out a greeting, sitting at the desk. John smiles at him, eyes glancing over to see how his son is doing. Stiles is bug eyed, trying to communicate his anger to his dad just with his gaze, and his cheeks flush pink, contrasting with his pure white hair. 

"Sorry, Derek. Stiles insists on eating lunch with me at least twice a week so he can torture me with awful food," John complains.   
"It's to keep your heart healthy! And I brought you a slice of banana bread," Stiles argues.   
"You're just trying to make up for all the stress you caused my heart as a kid," John grumbles. Derek snorts. John glances over at him, smiling. "Imagine my surprise when the kid starts shooting sparks from his hands."  
"Dad!" Stiles squeaks indignantly. 

"You're a spark?" Derek asks. Stiles shrugs, a lopsided, proud smile gracing his lips.   
"I'm training with Deaton to develop it more," Stiles tells him.   
"That's great," Derek smiles, surprising everyone in the room, including himself.   
"Yeah, I enjoy it," Stiles says quietly. 

John and Derek start talking about the pack, John very invested in seeing Derek happy after what happened when he was younger.   
"What are they doing now? I'm surprised at least one didn't tag along," John asks.   
"They're all at the bakery. They go there a lot and Aiden and Ethan are down for two weeks, so they wanted them to try it. The man covering for Stiles-"  
"Danny," Stiles tells his dad.  
"Danny," Derek nods. "Is Ethan's soulmate."

Stiles immediately pulls his phone out, fingers flying over the screen as he taps out a text to Danny.   
"You need to start advertising your bakery as a great meeting place for soulmates. Seems to happen often enough," John says drily to Stiles. Then he frowns, sighing when both boys in front of him tense up. "I'm sorry."  
"I- uh- I need to go. See you, dad," Stiles stutters, fumbling to put his things in his bag and leaning over to kiss his dad's cheek. He pauses at the door to look back at Derek, looking sadly down at the floor when Derek meets his gaze, before he hurries out it the office. 

The pack are gathered in Derek's living room when he gets home, besides Ethan who he presumes is out with Danny.   
"What's wrong?" Isaac pouts, waiting for Derek to sit down to curl up with him. The tension oozes from Derek's shoulders as Isaac comes to comfort him, enjoying the tall boy being so close. 

He explains what happened at the station, shrugging when the pack make pitiful noises.   
"Well, we should go back to the bakery. I'm sure it would've been weird if you flirted in from if his dad," Aiden suggests.   
"I think I should just leave him alone, it's not like he wants me," Derek shrugs sadly. 

He only rolls his eyes when Erica pulls his hair.   
"You, you bloody idiot, don't get to decide what he wants. He can't decide what he wants until he knows the full story. He still thinks it's a one sided bond," she lectures him. "You're going back there tomorrow, whether you like it or not."

Derek doesn't argue; he can't argue with her when all he wants is to see - to smell - him again, talk to him and watch him smile. 

So they go back the next morning, just Erica and Derek, to pick up breakfast muffins for the pack.   
"Hey, Erica," Stiles grins, already pressing buttons on the coffee machine to ready her order. She smiles and pulls Derek to stand beside her. "Hey, Derek."  
"Hi," Derek says quietly, nodding his head toward him.   
"I'm gonna call Boyd, tell him to wake the pack up, you wait here, Der," Erica tells them and quickly leaves so they can't argue. 

"Stiles?" Derek asks, voice trembling softly.   
"Yeah?" Stiles says, now looking up from the food he's wrapping.   
"Would you uh- I mean. If you'd like, I would like to-" Derek huffs, trying to collect himself. He can feel his ears burning as Stiles tries to hide his grin. "What I'm trying to say is - coffee?"

Stiles laughs lightly because Derek looks close to a heart attack.   
"Are you asking me on a date to a coffee shop?" Stiles asks, pointedly looking behind him to the coffee machines he owns.   
"Oh," Derek says sadly, "right. It was stupid, doesn't matter. Just forget I said anything. Erica will be back in a second."

He leaves a flustered, devastated Stiles at the counter again, ashamed of himself as he slams the car door. After ten minutes of waiting, Erica climbs into the passenger seat.   
"What the fuck was that?" She demands.   
"I asked him out and he laughed. Clearly he doesn't want me," Derek shrugs. "I can't blame him. I'm sure he knows what I did."  
"Derek, you didn't do that, that bitch did. And yeah, so maybe Stiles knows what happened to you, but that just means he can try to understand the black hair thing better."

Derek doesn't reply, just sips his coffee and glares at the road. Erica shakes her head when the pack look expectantly at her, a collective groan coming from them. 

That night Stiles calls Lydia, excitedly babbling about how Derek asked him out - kinda. Lydia chastises him because he still hasn't got Derek's number, but then Stiles discloses that Erica, one of Derek's betas, has invited him out to a movie night with a few friends that go to the bakery a lot. Lydia then rejoices that she won't have to deal with him anymore, eventually relenting and reassuring Stiles that she loves him. 

Erica tells the pack, besides Derek of course, that she has invited Stiles over to watch movies on pack night. The pack are very happy about this development, Ethan inviting Danny too, to let him make Stiles more comfortable and to get to know the pack. 

Friday comes around quickly, Erica and Allison waiting for him at the bakery near the end of his shift. Stiles lights up when they tell him Danny is coming and he proceeds to ask more about who will be there.   
"Just let me get changed and I'll grab the cakes I made for you guys," Stiles tells them with a quick smile before he heads into the back to change out of his flour-covered clothes. 

Erica whistles when he comes out in a pair of tight, black jeans and grey v-neck shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Stiles rolls his eyes despite the blush on his cheeks as he swings his bag over his shoulder. 

"You made us food and you're gorgeous?" Allison teases. "If you weren't the alpha's I would snatch you up myself."

Stiles knows it's a lie; Allison's hair is streaked with white and so is Erica's. He grins at the two women, letting them each take a cookie from his bag before he seals it. 

"Do you think your friends will like me?" Stiles asks as they drive away from the bakery.   
"It's just pack, Stiles, so they all know and like you already - besides Ethan and Aiden, you haven't met them. And I'm sure they'll like you, we all do," Erica reassures him. "Plus, you know the way to a werewolf's heart," she grins, nodding towards the bag of food in his lap. 

When they get to the house, the pack grins, waving eagerly at Stiles. Derek, who was blissfully unaware Stiles was coming, nearly falls off the couch when Stiles walks in. Stiles freezes in his tracks, gulping as Derek stares at him intensely. 

He is brought of his trance by Erica hooking an arm through his, pulling him into the centre of the room.   
"We're ordering pizza for dinner, Stiles. What kind do you like?"  
"I'm easy," Stiles shrugs. He hears Derek's growl, quickly trying to back pedal. "Not like that! Nobody but you- not that we'd do that because you think I'm-"  
"Hey, Stiles, breathe," Danny chuckles lightly, coming to wrap his friend in a hug. Stiles let's out a self-deprecating laugh, promising the pack, who look very worried, that he's okay and his brain to mouth filter just doesn't work and Danny drags him into the kitchen. 

"What's up with you?" Danny asks as Stiles gulps down the bottle of water he presses into his hand.   
"Derek, alpha Hale, is my soulmate but it's one sided and we keep running into each other and I didn't know he'd be here and he probably hates me and I should leave-"

"Stiles!" Scott calls. Danny's lips tug into a smug grin.  
"See? They want you here. As for the rest of it, just act like everything's okay and it will be. Let me introduce you to my soulmate," Danny tells him.   
"Okay," Stiles pouts, hating that his friend can so easily defeat him. 

He leaves his treats in the kitchen, smiling nervously as he hovers near Erica and Boyd in the living room. His eyes dart over every surface, trying to take everything in. They nearly bulge out of his head when he sees the bag with his number he'd written on for Derek on the coffee table. Erica nudges him in the leg. 

"Go sit down," she encourages. Stiles opens his mouth to protest when he sees that the only free seat is beside Derek on a small couch. She kicks him gently so he stumbles toward the couch.   
"I can sit on the floor," Stiles shrugs when he sees the wicked grip Derek has on the arm of the chair, already squatting down to get situated when Derek grabs his arm and hauls him up to sit beside him. 

Stiles shudders at the touch, his skin burning under the large hand of his soulmate. The couch is small enough that their thighs and shoulders press together, Derek's pupils wide and his nostrils flaring every time Stiles moves, which is often because he can't seem to keep still. 

The pizza arrives quickly, Stiles grabbing a few slices as he settles back into the sofa. The pack ask him questions about the bakery and college, shocked when they find out he is training his spark, not attending college. Scott seems very happy to have found someone as nerdy as him, chatting eagerly to Stiles about video games in a way he's never been able to do with the pack. Derek stays silent, a tense wall beside Stiles. 

Once the pizza has been demolished, which is rapidly thanks to werewolf appetites, Stiles brings in the treats he brought.   
"I just brought what you guys normally order and then a few extra bits and bobs," Stiles tells them as he hands them out, knowing everybody's order from the extensive study groups and lunches and Saturday orders the pack orders his food for. He smiles shyly at Derek as he hands him his. 

"You get a different thing every time they order for you, but Erica says you liked Nutella so I brought this," he explains shyly as he hands over a wrapped up doughnut. "It's a new recipe I'm trying. I brought other things in case you don't want that, though."

Derek's eyes flutter closed as he bites into it, Nutella flooding his mouth as he nods his head.   
"It's good," he mumbles around a mouthful of food. "Really good."  
"Oh," Stiles squeaks with pink ears, a grin forming on his lips. "Good. That's... good."

The pack exchange happy glances, Stiles and Derek settling beside each other with red cheeks. Stiles munches on a doughnut to try and hide his smile.   
"These are great as always, Stiles," Allison praises. The rest of the pack echoe her sentiment, moaning and licking their lips as they finish the desserts. 

Stiles stands once all of the food has been finished off, grabbing the bags and scrumping them up. Derek growls again, low and quiet like earlier, staring at the paper in Stiles' hands.   
"Um... okay?" Stiles says slowly, handing the paper over to him. Derek fishes through them until he finds the one with Stiles' number on. Stiles opens his mouth to say something but can't find the words. awkwardly scratching the back of his neck, he takes the rest of the paper into the kitchen to throw away. 

"Stiles," a low voice says from behind him. Stiles whips around, smiling shyly at Derek stood in the doorway.   
"Hey, Derek," Stiles greets, tucking his hands into his pockets. "I'll get going now, I'm sure you guys want to hang out without the outsider here."

Derek's frown deepens and he shakes his head. He grabs the paper bag from his pocket and rips off a section of paper, tucking Stiles' number back into his pocket. Stiles watches as Derek writes something out on the paper, handing it to Stiles with a very nervous look on his face. 

Stiles wonders for a moment why Derek's hair doesn't change to purple, but then he realises that when he was grieving his hair stayed black no matter what. He glances down at the paper, nearly choking on his own spit. 

"Derek?" He squeaks, looking back up at the blushing man.   
"Call me," Derek tells him, a smirk on his lips that Stiles just wants to kiss off and -- he's staring. He's really staring. 

He's pulled out of it when Derek clears his throat, raising expecting eyebrows. Stiles grins, nodding his head clumsily.   
"Yeah- uh, I will."  
"Good," Derek chuckles and Stiles wants to hear that sounds forever.   
"See you round?" Stiles says awkwardly as he moves around Derek.   
"Sure," Derek nods, nose scrunching up at his strange reply when Stiles has left the room. "Sure?" He whispers to himself, rolling his eyes. The pack teases him when Stiles has gone home, patronisingly cooing and pinching his cheeks. 

Danny gives Stiles a lift home, bombarding him with questions about Derek. Stiles laughs as he wiggles his eyebrows and asks Danny about Ethan. Danny's hair flushes pink, streaks of white running through the colour.   
"What was sealing the bond like?" Stiles asks. 

Sealing the bond can be different for a lot of people, for some it just happens with their emotions getting stronger, or a kiss or sex - anything that helps them solidify their bond. 

"It was amazing," Danny grins. "It was like everything finally felt right even though I didn't know it felt wrong before. There was a rush and then it felt like we were connected- though it's different for everyone, so your sealing might be completely different."

Stiles bites his lip. His sealing might never happen, with Derek's hair still black, but stranger things have happened.


	3. Chapter 3

Derek is mid workout when Stiles calls him later that week. Breathlessly he holds the phone to his ear, cringing at the sweat that drops onto his phone. Instead he wipes it off with his towel and puts it on speaker.   
"Hello?" Stiles' voice is soft and rough from sleep. Derek finds his chest rumbling at the sound, imagining waking up beside him and whispering husky good mornings. 

"Yeah, hi," Derek says awkwardly.   
"I was wondering if I should make more Nutella doughnuts?" Stiles asks. "Would it be...worth it if I made more?"

"Are you asking me if your customers will enjoy it or if I will come and buy some?" Derek teases, conversation seemingly easier over the phone. He can't see or smell Stiles to get overwhelmed. Stiles grins.   
"Both?" He laughs, voice high and airy. 

It's silent for a moment. 

"I'm sure your customers will love them. And I will definitely come and get more," Derek agrees. "I just don't want to show up and have someone else serve me."  
"Well, I'm working from today to Friday, training on Saturday and I'm back in on Sunday. So whenever you want."  
"I can do today," Derek says hastily.  
"I'd like that," Stiles agrees. "Well I better start making these before I open."  
"I can help?" Derek offers, surprising even himself.   
"Really?" Stiles asks hopefully.   
"Yeah. I'll leave whenever you want."  
"As soon as you can, I don't mind," Stiles says easily. "I'll get them and some other stuff started while you're on your way."

"See you soon," Derek says softly and Stiles hums lightly before the call ends. 

Derek groans as he steps into the shower, Stiles' pink lips and long fingers coming to mind. He scowls, turning the handle to cold. Since the fire it's never felt right to get hard, he can feel the touches of her like she's never left, fingers tgerprints brandishing themselves along his sides and down his hips. 

Derek growls, fangs scraping along his lip as his claws elongate. After taking a moment to calm down, he turns the water as hot as it will go and proceeds to scrub at his skin as if he can rid himself of the touches that still linger. 

By the time he's at the bakery he's managed to calm himself down, thinking of Stiles instead of her. He can hear Stiles pottering around, humming a song as he rolls out his cookie dough. 

Stiles jumps when the door opens, smiling to himself as he hears Derek walks through to join him in the kitchen.   
"Hey," Derek says, awkwardly hovering by the ovens. Stiles glances up at him, nodding over to the door in the corner.   
"Put your stuff in there and get an apron on if you're going to make yourself useful."

Derek, after washing his hands and sliding an apron over his his head, rolls up his sleeves to his elbows. He brushes along Stiles' side, biting back a smile when  Stiles bumps his hip against his. 

"So what do you want me to do?" Derek asks. "I don't want to ruin anything."  
"Well if you just want to stand there and look pretty, I won't complain," Stiles grins cheekily. When Derek just raises an eyebrow, Stiles quickly apologises. "Sorry, I shouldn't say that. I shouldn't force this on you."  
"You're not forcing anything," Derek shrugs, trying to indirectly-directly tell Stiles that it's not one sided. 

Stiles ducks his head. So Derek isn't getting any flirty vibes? He mentally sighs and rolls his eyes at himself. Why would someone like Derek even look his way, never mind like him?

They settle into a rhythm of Stiles demonstrating and Derek following and repeating. Stiles praises his technique, tells him he's a quick learner and Stiles will be out of a job in no time. Derek flushes, shrugging bashfully as he tells Stiles that he's nothing compared to him, Stiles is so talented and amazing and--

They're a lot closer than they were before. Stiles shivers, tilting his head back to look up at Derek. Derek gulps, reaching out before realising what he's doing and taking a step back.   
"Uh- I'll put these in the oven," Derek mumbles and grabs a tray of cookies.   
"I'm just going to have a quick clean up of the sitting area," Stiles mutters. 

When everything is finished and Stiles is about to open up Derek slides up to him at the counter.   
"Cookie to celebrate?" Stiles teases when Derek holds out a white chocolate and raspberry cookie. Derek nods, taking one for himself.   
"These are amazing," Derek groans as he chews his first bite.   
"Hey, you made them, I barely did anything," Stiles shrugs. "How about you stay for a coffee, let me thank you for your help?"

Derek agrees easily, letting Stiles serve his first few customers before he sidles up to the counter.   
"Fancy seeing you here," Stiles chuckles as he starts to make Derek's coffee.   
"Well, I've been thinking I should come here more often," Derek smirks. Stiles glances up at him.   
"Really?"  
"Yeah."

Stiles smiles shyly down at the counter.   
"I'd like that."  
"Me too."

Derek leaves when the pack complains that they're meant to be going to a movie and Derek will make them late. Stiles hurries to give Derek some treats for them, wriggling his fingers in a goodbye when Derek thanks him and heads out. 

A few days later, on Friday, Derek shows up at the bakery, encouraged by their recent interactions. Stiles has taken to texting Derek throughout his day, complaining about customers and carrying the conversation. Derek isn't the best at talking, so Stiles' constant chatter seems to be a positive for once. 

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Stiles grins when Derek saunters up to the counter. Derek smirks to cover up his nervousness. The last time he did this it didn't go too well.   
"I've been ordered to invite you  over for dinner tonight," Derek says, thinking of the way Erica and Aiden had nudged and poked until he cracked. "If you want to, obviously."  
"Yeah!" Stiles says quickly, blushing at his over-eager reply. "I mean, yeah. That sounds good."  
"Come over at seven? I'll text you the address," Derek suggests.   
"I will. Definitely. Here, your coffee is on me," Stiles smiles, biting his lip as Derek takes the coffee, fingers brushing against his. 

"See you later," Derek whispers, their eyes never leaving each others as they move their hands away.   
"See you then."

Lydia has a bit of a tantrum, insisting that, although he has already spent time with Derek, he needs to dress to impress now that Derek seems to be taking an interest. 

Stiles rolls his eyes as he pulls his shirt off to try another one on.   
"He hasn't 'taken an interest'; he's just being friendly. It's dinner with him and the pack, it's not a date," Stiles argues.   
"He's an alpha inviting you into his home and he wants to provide for you with his pack. It's a group date," Lydia says, smiling as she eyes his outfit. 

Stiles let's her push and pull his hair around until she's happy.   
"It's still a one sided bond. He doesn't feel that way," Stiles insists, frowning.   
"You never know," Lydia placates, smoothing down his shirt. "There. Go eat some food with your totally uninterested soulmate who invited you to dinner."  
"Thanks, Lyds."

Stiles arrives at 7 O'clock sharp, knocking on the door as he shifts from foot to foot. Derek checks himself over in the mirror, glancing over at the table to make sure everything is ready. He nervously wipes his hands off on his jeans before he opens the door, plastering on a smile for Stiles. 

Derek's breath catches in his throat when he takes him in. He's wearing a baggy baseball shirt, tight burgundy jeans and - god. He is not allowed to look that good when he's not even trying. 

He opens the door wider, breathing through his mouth as Stiles walks past him. Stiles looks around the living room, eyebrows furrowing. 

"The pack not here yet?" Stiles asks. Derek feels his stomach sink.   
"Oh -uh- it's just us. I only asked you to- you can go if you don't want to," Derek rambles. Stiles punches his shoulder gently in an attempt to put him at ease.   
"Even better. I mean- not that I don't like the pack I just... I'm glad it's just us," Stiles admits, just as flustered as Derek. 

Derek leads him into the kitchen, awaiting his response to the table he's set out. Stiles bites his lip and turns to look at Derek with something in his eyes Derek can't quite comprehend.   
"What's on the menu, then?" Stiles asks as he sits down at the table.   
"I made cheese and bacon burgers with sweet potato fries. Is that okay? I can make something else if you want," Derek offers. Stiles looks appalled.   
"Don't you dare. That sounds amazing, just don't tell my dad, he'll complain even more, probably demand you make them for him," Stiles jokes.   
"I'll keep that in mind," Derek muses as he plates everything and sets one in front of Stiles and one in his own place. He has to stop himself from smugly smirking at the reminder that he gets on so well with his soulmate's dad. 

"So how'd you learn to cook?" Stiles asks as he forks a few fries in his mouth.   
"My uh- my mom always cooked. She tried to teach me and my sisters, but I could never get it. I preferred running about in the preserve with my dad. When I started my pack, I couldn't provide for them. Jackson bought me cooking lessons as a joke for my birthday and I ended up really enjoying it. I managed to find my mom's recipe book, but I haven't had the heart to make them yet," Derek explains, talking longer than Stiles has ever heard. He gets an indescribable look in his eyes when he talks about his family; Stiles wishes his hair would change colour so he could understand what he's thinking. 

"That's lovely," Stiles says softly. "I started to bake because of my mom."

Derek freezes. He forgot all about Stiles' mother. The whole town knew her, the smiley wife of the sheriff who brought cakes and cookies to every fundraiser or party the town had. She often visited his parents, stayed for a bit of a chat, but that stopped when she got ill. 

He reaches out, hand trembling, and rests his hand over Stiles'. Stiles gasps and his eyes flutter closed as he feels his skin heat up under Derek's touch. Something unfurls in his chest, a shuddery breath leaving him. 

When his hand touches Stiles skin, Derek stiffens, fangs elongating. He can feel his eyes glowing as he tenses and relaxes with the waves of what feels like electricity flow through him, groaning as something seems to fall in place. 

It takes a few minutes for both of them to come back to themselves. Stiles peaks an eye open, deflating when he sees Derek in a similar state.   
"What happened?" Stiles asks breathlessly, pulling his hand away to wipe at his watery eyes. Derek gulps at the sight in front of him.   
"We sealed the bond."

Stiles thinks he's hallucinating.   
"What? How could we if it's one sided?" He laughs, the idea absolutely ridiculous. Derek takes a deep breath to retract his wolfish features before rooting through his drawer to get a pair of scissors. "What're you doing?" 

Derek smiles uneasily, handing the scissors to a totally befuddled Stiles. He turns his back to Stiles and closes his eyes.  
"Cut some off," Derek tells him. "I want you to see. Please."

Stiles has never heard the alpha sound so distressed and hurries to stand. His hand brushes the nape of Derek's neck as he raises the scissors. He cups one hand under the scissors as he trims the hair. It falls into his hand speckled white and purple. 

"Derek," Stiles gasps. "What does this mean?"  
Derek turns to look at him, studying the hair in his palm, showing his anxiety at their current predicament.   
"It isn't one sided, Stiles," Derek says softly, voice barely above a whisper as he watches Stiles struggle to comprehend it all.   
"You-you dye your hair. A-and you're my soulmate," Stiles stayed, looking much paler than before. "I need to sit down."

His hair is streaked with white, but showing through is a light grey. Derek pushes him gently to sit back on his chair, watching him carefully as he stares at Derek. After a few minutes Stiles seems to have recovered because he shouts, surprising Derek with his volume:   
"What the fuck, man?"

Derek draws back, folding his arms over his chest defensively.   
"You didn't think to tell me that I wasn't a freak? I wasn't destined to be alone forever?" Stiles asks, outraged now.  
"I did it because I don't know if I can give you this!" Derek exclaims. Stiles' face falls.   
"What do you mean?"

Derek sighs and slides down the counter until he sits on the floor.   
"Since the fire, I've been too scared to get close to anyone and I don't want to burden you with all my issues," tells him sadly. Stiles shakes his head, sitting on the floor opposite him.   
"You don't want to get close to me, yet you accepted the bond- whether you were aware of it or not. You're ready for this, but you're stopping yourself from having good things in your life because you think you don't deserve it. Tell me how you feel Derek," Stiles demands. "Because I can't bloody see it."  
"I don't know," Derek admits sheepishly. "God, Stiles, I don't know."

Stiles softens, hair paling to a lilac colour. He shuffles on his butt over to sit beside Derek. Hesitantly Derek rests his head on Stiles' shoulder, closing his eyes.   
"I think you're so used to having black hair, that you refuse to believe that you feel anything other than grief. You think your family would want you to blame yourself?"  
"It's my fault," Derek croaks. "She was a hunter, I should've known. I told her they'd be home. It's my fault."

Stiles takes a moment to figure something out, hair turning a sickly green colour.   
"You were fifteen, Derek. She was clever and a lot older than you. It wasn't up to you to know she would do that. You didn't kill your family, she did," Stiles argues. 

"I want to try," Derek says after a few moments of silence. "But I just don't know if I can."  
"Okay, that's okay."

Stiles, after a little while of enjoying Derek's head on his shoulder, encourages Derek to stand back up.   
"I believe I was promised dinner," he teases and sits back at the table.   
"I believe you brought treats for after?" Derek jokes, though his voice is still thick. Stiles laughs lightly as he nods his head.   
"Of course. Couldn't have you doing all the work," Stiles smiles. 

He tries to keep the conversation light and teasing to avoid any upset. When they're finished Stiles slouches back in his chair.   
"I still can't believe that I have a soulmate," he chuckles humourlessly. "Even though you took your time, I'm glad you told me. Does the pack know?"  
"They figured it out for themselves," Derek nods. "Erica, specifically. They're the ones that pushed me to keep talking to you."  
"Well, I'll have to thank them," Stiles says softly, a small smile on his lips.  
"Me too."


	4. Chapter 4

Erica is proud of Derek to say the least. The pack goes to Derek's on Saturday morning so Derek has enough time with Stiles in the evening and on his own to think things through. 

"You told him didn't you?" Erica grins as she barrels into Derek to hug him. Derek slowly relaxes from the initial contact and squeezes her tight. "I can smell him on you. But not enough to mean you did anything fun."

She seems weirdly upset about that, Derek thinks as Erica pulls back to allow the rest of pack to scent the alpha.   
"Yes, I told him. More showed him, really," Derek mumbles as Allison nuzzles his cheek and Isaac tucks himself under his arm.   
"What do you mean?" Scott asks as he leans into the hand Derek cups around his jaw. He presses a kiss to Derek's wrist before moving aside.   
"We sealed the bond," Derek says. The pack freezes, exchanging worried looks with each other as their hair flushes purple, Erica's a bright orange as she giggles giddily. "I touched his hand and it sealed the bond. He didn't understand how, so I got him to cut some hair so he could see that it wasn't one sided and that we had sealed it."

Derek feels his stomach turn as Allison and Erica tug him over to the couch. He misses the women in his family now more than ever; Talia had always teased them about and anticipated the moment all of her children would meet their soulmates. He remembers late nights with Laura and Cora, telling them with a hushed whisper how excited he was to meet his soulmate, though he was nervous because he so badly wanted them to like him. It had been something they could always talk to each other about, whether they were arguing or jealous or scared. He remembers Laura's excitement when she came home with pink hair speckled with white and flushed cheeks, her lipstick smudged as she gushed about the new boy in school that she had pulled aside to press a clumsy kiss to his lips. Derek finds himself wincing. He not only robbed his family of their lives, but he robbed someone of their soulmate. Erica senses his discomfort and kisses his cheek softly, smiling sadly when he wipes at his eyes before pulling the pack tighter to his side. 

Stiles is at his dad's house when John arrives home early Saturday morning after a night shift. He hangs up his coat and tries not to get too hopeful about the delicious smell coming from the kitchen. Rolling his eyes, he kicks Stiles' shoes to the side of the hallway rather than in the middle. 

"Mornin', Stiles!" John calls out as he toes his boots off and walks through to meet his son. 

Stiles smiles widely at his dad and pushes the McDonald's towards him. John gawks at the white streaks in his son's now orange hair.   
"What's all this about?" John asks, eyeing the muffin suspiciously as he pulls it towards him.   
"I had dinner with Derek last night," Stiles tells him, trying and failing to keep his excitement at bay. "We sealed the bond. It's not one sided. Dad! I have a soulmate!" 

John, expecting it, braces himself for impact as Stiles wraps himself around him.   
"But his hair hasn't changed?" John asks, hand coming to stroke Stiles' hair at the nape of his neck.   
"He dyes it," Stiles explains and pulls back to grin brightly at John. "He is my soulmate!"

A laugh escapes John as he ruffles Stiles' hair, the smile infectious and he feels his own lips curling up to mirror his son's.   
"That's great, son. Let me eat my breakfast while you tell me all about your dinner," John says, no doubt in his mind that Stiles was planning on it. He also knows that Stiles will make him eat salads for lunch for a week to make up for this breakfast. May as well enjoy it while he can, John thinks. 

Stiles rambles about his evening with Derek, how he had felt when they accepted the soulbond, how Derek showed that it was reciprocated and how Derek isn't quite sure about giving the whole thing. 

"So what are you going to do?" John asks when his son seems to have run out of breath.   
"I'm gonna be there in any way he'll let me. Even if I never get to... to kiss him or hold his hand, I can still be with him as a friend and help him," Stiles says, voice faltering slightly when he speaks of the opportunities he might never get. John sighs, forehead creasing. 

"I don't want you to hurt yourself trying to be something he won't let you be."

Lydia is pleased with Stiles' and Derek's progress, though she's disappointed when Stiles tells her that they simply ate the treats he brought and he went home; no kisses or excessive touches or plans for the future. 

Stiles rolls his eyes when Lydia demands to meet Derek so she can figure things out for herself. Kira, who is lounging on Lydia's bed waiting for the two to stop squabbling, rolls her eyes with him. Danny ignores their bickering and pulls Stiles into a hug, smiling smugly at Lydia when Stiles relaxes and squeezes him tight. 

Then it gets busy. Stiles is making new recipes for his menu, training even more with Deaton, but he texts Derek daily. Sometimes it's just an opinion on a movie, a load of thoughts that he needs to get rid of before training in order to concentrate, or maybe just a good morning. 

Derek ignores the pack's teasing whenever he hastily reaches for his phone if it buzzes or dings and the grin that slowly grows on his face as he types out his reply. He never has much to say back, at least not as much as Stiles, but Stiles doesn't seem to mind so that puts him at ease.

The next pack night Stiles scolds Derek for texting him when he is supposed to be bonding with the pack. Derek tells him that he wouldn't have to be on his phone if Stiles would come over. 

Stiles rereads the text over and over, smile widening until he is beaming, Danny rolling his eyes fondly. 

"How's lover boy?" Danny asks, pausing the film that they haven't really been paying attention to anyway. Stiles flushes as he glances up at Danny.   
"He is... adjusting," Stiles tells him honestly, scrubbing a hand over his face. "We're taking it slow, being friends first."  
"That's good. You should spend some more time together, go on some more dates," Danny suggests. 

Stiles smiles at the thought, nodding his head.   
"So how about Ethan?" Stiles asks, simply sending a grinning emoji to Derek in response.   
"He's amazing! I know we always get told that when you seal the bond it feels like you've known each other forever, but it's so true. I find myself missing him even when we've just parted. I can still kind of feel him, even when we are away from each other and-"

Danny catches Stiles frowning down at his lap.   
"How about we go on a double date?" He suggests. "Go for dinner?"  
"I'll ask Derek," Stiles nods, mustering up a weak smile. 

This apparently turns out to be an awful idea. 

Danny and Stiles sit beside each other at dinner, their respective soulmate sitting opposite them. It's tense at first, Danny trying to encourage Derek to talk as Ethan and Stiles uncomfortably glance to each other, a silent conversation between them. 

It settles when their food comes, Ethan asking Stiles about the bakery and about his training with Deaton. Danny asks about the pack, wanting Derek to tell him, but Derek simply shrugs and tells him "alright". Stiles' teeth worry at his bottom lip as Danny sags against his chair defeatedly. So he tries to engage Derek. They haven't really spoken besides a mumbled hello when they arrived at the restaurant. 

"How's Scott? Has he got that new game he was really desperate for?" Stiles asks Derek. Derek's eyebrows raise as if he expected Stiles to ignore him the whole night.   
"Uh- he's okay. I don't think so, not yet," Derek says slowly. Stiles has to hold himself back from saying something sarcastic. 

Derek is more open with Stiles than he is with Danny, though their conversation is still stilted. Stiles reminds himself throughout the dinner that Derek isn't used to sharing his thoughts and emotions with other people, purposely hides them. 

He just wishes he could see Derek's hair change, know how he feels so he can help. On the other hand, he is glad he can't see it because the result could be awful. It doesn't make for great conversation if your hair is displaying proudly how uncomfortable you are. 

Danny's hair flares pink and Stiles washes his cheeks flush similarly as he shifts in his chair. Ethan's nose twitches before he breathes deeply, trying to get as much of Danny's scent as he can. 

Stiles can feel his hair change like it pains him as he finds himself wishing he and Derek could be like that. Hell-- he wishes they could just hold hands or even talk to each other properly. 

Derek's mouth twists into a sour scowl and he stabs at the food in front of him like it's the food's fault. Ethan smiles apologetically at Stiles as he and Danny try to encourage him and Derek into the conversation, both men occupying themselves with their meal. 

When they leave Ethan pulls Stiles into a hug, only to push him away when Derek growls loudly. Stiles is still finding his footing when Derek stands in front of him, puffing his chest out as he flashes his eyes red at Ethan. 

Ethan's eyes flash in response, head tipping back as he whines and his cheeks flush. Danny glares at Derek as he continues to posture and rubs Ethan's shoulder comfortingly. 

Stiles clears his throat, loud in the tense silence, and cautiously wraps his hand around Derek's (rather intimidating) bicep. Derek turns swiftly, looming over Stiles before he closes his eyes, takes a few deep breaths and when he opens them they are his normal gorgeous green.  

"See you soon," Stiles mumbles to Danny and Ethan as they walk by. Derek doesn't take his eyes off of him. 

When Danny and Ethan have driven away Stiles says and scrubs a hand over his face. 

"What was that, Derek?" He asks, voice monotone as he stares up expectantly at his soulmate. Derek shifts from foot to foot, having the decency to look sorry when his wolf is still demanding that he protect and claim his mate. 

Derek takes a shaky breath and walks over to lean on his car.   
"I'll try to explain on the way home," he mumbles and turns, getting into the car. Stiles sighs. He wishes he'd driven here himself rather than with Danny. 

The suffocating silence isn't broken until Stiles groans and bangs his head on the dashboard. Derek huffs a breath, doesn't spare a glance his way as he begins to explain. 

"Even though we have sealed the bond, I haven't fully claimed you as werewolves do. I haven't even scented you. It puts me on edge for you to be around other people -werewolves especially - and I want to protect you and make you mine, but on the other hand I'm... scared to do that," Derek explains, voice gruff and words slow. Stiles doesn't interrupt with the fear that Derek wouldn't continue talking again if he did. 

"Okay, that's okay. I know that it was hard to tell me that, but we need to be able to talk about this for it to work, to make it easier for both of us," Stiles says gently, not wanting to upset him. Derek nods his head, seemingly relieved.   
"I don't know what would help other than becoming a couple," Derek grumbles, the word 'couple' filled with disgust.   
"If that is not something you want," Stiles mumbles, unable to stop the embarrassed flare of muddy red of his hair, "we can figure other things out. Like you could give me a shirt of yours to wear, so I'd smell like you."

Derek grunts. This conversation would be so much easier if he could just look at his hair and see what he's feeling. 

"I'm going to get worse until I feel secure that I have you as mine," Derek complains. Stiles bites his lip.   
"Well, until you feel ready to make me yours - which we can speak about another time - we can figure out ways to make you feel better. It's really all on you, you need to tell me what you need."  
"Your needs are important, too, even if they aren't supernatural," Derek argues. Stiles hums his agreement. "So you need to tell me what you need."  
"I'm open to intimacy and relationships and all that jazz, so it's you that needs to tell me where your boundaries are. If I'm uncomfortable, I'll make it known," Stiles reassures. Derek snorts, surprising Stiles.   
"I'm sure you will," he mutters. 

They pull up at Derek's place and he holds up a finger to tell him to wait there. He disappears inside and Stiles thinks over their conversation, counting it as a victory. When Derek returns, he is holding a navy blue t-shirt. He hands it to Stiles as he climbs back into the drivers seat. 

"I'll come by the coffee shop occasionally to give you another one so my scent doesn't fade too much," Derek informs him as he pulls out of his drive. Stiles types in his address into the gps, hesitantly lifting the shirt to his face to breathe in. 

He can almost feel Derek tense, awaiting his response. Stiles can't help the content moan that leaves his lips as he nuzzles further into the clothing, pleased with the happy rumble coming from Derek. He may not be a werewolf, but he can still feel the overwhelming sense of belonging and soulmate that comes with his scent. 

"I think if you spent more time with us - the pack - I'd feel better, too," Derek says as he pulls up outside of Stiles' house. Stiles glances down at the shirt, remembering the way Derek had clung to the bad he'd written his number on.   
"That sounds good. I'd like it if we spent some time alone together, maybe at my house sometime," Stiles suggests. Derek nods his head. "Wait here," Stiles instructs. 

He hurries up the stairs to his room, rifling through his drawers to find something to give to Derek. Underwear? Stiles thinks. No too suggestive. Baby steps. 

His hair flushes purple, hoping Derek hasn't left with how long it took him to find his favourite hoody, hug it to his torso for maybe a moment too long, and hoping Derek approves. 

Derek hasn't left - thank god. He is waiting patiently, which is something Stiles hadn't associated with Derek before, when Stiles reaches his car. Shyly, he hands over the item of clothing, watching Derek carefully to survey his reaction. 

Just as he had done, Derek lifts it to his face and breathes in his scent, growling lowly in his throat as he rubs his cheek over the soft fabric. 

"Uh- is that wolfy speak for good?" Stiles asks, voice shaky as Derek looks up at him, eyes ruby red, and he nods slowly. 

They bid each other awkward goodbyes, both men hard and desperately trying not to let the other know. 

It's the first time in years, as Derek locks himself in his room and buries his face into the scent of his mate, that he has been able to touch himself and not throw up.


	5. Chapter 5

The pack stay at the bakery after it's closed, Danny there too, to hang out all together. Stiles tests out new recipes for salted caramel brownies and some new milkshakes. 

They don't mention it if Derek sneaks off to the kitchen while Stiles is preparing the food. And they don't mention it - until Stiles is out of the room - when Derek's ears are pink and his dimples don't go away. 

Derek shocks Stiles when he grins brightly at him, hidden away in the kitchen, and leans in closely. He can smell their scents mixing, Stiles wearing the shirt Derek gave him. Stiles reaches out and Derek freezes. 

Is stiles going to kiss him? He can't do that. Just thinking of kisses makes him relive the bruising lips that marked his skin all those years ago. 

Stiles' hand lands on his shoulder, thumb gently rubbing the soft skin just above the neckline of his tight shirt. So tight that Stiles got way too hard at work when Derek walked in and brushed close to him. 

As Stiles' skin makes contact with his, Derek's intrusive thoughts clear instantly. His pupils dilate and his face flushes, nostrils flaring at the scent of his mate. 

"Thank you, for being so accepting of me and the pack," Derek says quietly as Stiles leans in closer. He waits for Derek to pull back and when he doesn't he squeezes his shoulder gently before backing off. 

"You know if there's anything that makes you uncomfortable you can just tell me and I won't do it?" Stiles says quietly as he takes the brownies out of the oven. He doesn't mind that Derek doesn't respond, let's him think.   
"It's just hard for me to believe. I've been lied to in the past," Derek murmurs, like he's ashamed.   
"I'm not her, Derek." 

The pack are constantly laughing and Stiles doesn't stop smiling. Derek can't take his eyes off of him, chest feeling warmer than it has in a long time. He feels is eyes crinkle as Stiles flushes from all the praise he's receiving. The smaller boy turns to him, sharing a small smile and knocking their knees together. 

They play a game of never have I ever and all Derek can focus on is the changing colours streaked in Stiles' hair. Stiles gawks at some of the questions the pack ask and the information they share. 

 

John can't help his smirk when next time he invites Derek for lunch in his office Stiles tags along. Derek's shoulders are more relaxed than they have been in years, John notes as Derek listens eagerly to Stiles' rambling. It's Derek this time that takes charge of lunch, a vegetable stir fry making its way onto the sheriffs desk. 

Stiles beams at that, pleased. However, when he isn't looking Derek slips John a doughnut. When they leave, John smiles smugly as he thanks Derek for lunch. Stiles narrows his eyes but he's too happy to say anything. 

"How about you take me for that coffee I was offered?" Stiles suggests hopefully as Derek starts the engine. He gets no reply. 

Nervously he looks over and Derek's cheeks are pink, knuckles white where he grips the steering wheel. 

"Uh- Derek?"   
"I don't know if I can do this, Stiles. You deserve somebody who can give you everything. I can't. I can't even figure out how I feel."  
"You are what I want, Derek. You're my soulmate," Stiles says quietly, resting his hand on Derek's thigh. 

Derek had been driving towards the cafe but he takes a sharp turn and continues looking at the road ahead. 

"Where are we going?" Stiles demands. The growl emulating from Derek's throat is slightly worrying. 

"I want to do this. I want to be enough for you," Derek's answers when he finally collects himself enough to reply. 

Stiles takes a deep calming breath, reminding himself that Derek won't hurt him and he is safe. He waits as patiently as he can and stays quiet. 

When he goes to move his hand from Derek's thigh the bearded man whines like a wounded animal.   
"Okay," Stiles soothes, gently rubbing circles into the firm thigh beneath his palm. "I'm here, Derek."

Stiles is even more confused when they arrive at the local drugstore. Nonetheless he follows when Derek motions for him to do so, sticking close by his side as they go to the hair dye section. Derek doesn't look at him, like he's ashamed, as he grabs a pack of hair dye remover. 

They don't speak until they're back at Derek's place, Derek pulling him into the bathroom where he sits in a stool. 

"Derek," Stiles says breathlessly, staring at them in the mirror. Derek closes his eyes, resting his head in his hands.   
"I need to do this. Please, Stiles. Help me?" Derek begs desperately, eyes shining wetly as he gazes at Stiles through their reflection. "I need this, to really be your soulmate."

And that's all Stiles needs to hear. 

Derek directs Stiles to spread the strong-smelling, white paste across his cheeks and stubble. Stiles holds his breath as he carefully covers the hair on Derek's face with soft fingers. Derek's nods when Stiles gestures towards his eyebrows. 

He's so close that Derek can feel his breath on his face as he gently rubs the cream into his dark, thick eyebrows. And that's where they stop. Baby steps. 

The research he's done into this before couldn't have prepared him for the pain the remover caused. Stiles winces each time his eyes flash red and his claws pop out before he pulls himself back together, for it to happen all over again. 

"Just five more minutes, Der," Stiles soothes, warm hand settling on Derek's back. "Nearly there."

 

Just hearing his voice and smelling his soulmate helps Derek pull through. Stiles is quick to wash it off once the timer has sounded, letting Derek collapse into his chest as he lets out a weak growl. 

"I'm sorry. For making you do this," Derek tells him when he has tried to sober up and put on his brave face. "I - I -"

Stiles lets him go when he struggles in his arms, easily walking away and plopping down on the couch. He pats the seat next to him casually as he flicks through the channels on the tv. 

He doesn't want to make this a big deal (even though it is a huge deal) and he knows Derek is going to try to kick him out, push him away. But he also knows that Derek can't be alone right know. In every other big moment of his life Derek has had no one there for him. Stiles is determined to change that. 

Derek, still overwhelmed by his pain and emotions, whimpers and follows the soothing scent coming from his couch. When he reaches Stiles side the pale boy just smiles, doesn't even look at his beard, like nothing has happened. 

 

With Stiles by his side and exhaustion weighing down his muscles, Derek sleeps soundly, without a nightmare in sight. 

Waking up beside Stiles is nothing like Derek has imagined it to be. It's butterflies and softness rather than the harsh and alertness he's used to around his Soulmate. 

Stiles smiles sleepily at him, snuggling into his shoulder in the place they've fallen asleep in the couch. Derek's senses are overwhelmed by his soulmate, but instead of the panic from his wolf he works usually get he receives nothing but eagerness, content and adoration. 

As Stiles stands at the kitchen counter to make coffee Derek watches him and can't help but think that he'd like to wake up like this every morning.


End file.
